Brown, 28, travelled to UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, to make a personal plea for a lesser punishment after he was shown a straight red card after aiming a kick at Neymar while the Brazilian forward was on the floor during last month’s Champions League group game.

Celtic boss Neil Lennon described the incident as “very soft” at the time, adding: “If there was any contact it was minimal. There was a lot more in a game that warranted heavier punishment.”

However, UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Committee has extended the midfielder’s automatic one-game ban to three games, which Lennon has described as “disappointing” and “excessive”.

Brown, who was forced to sit out the 2-1 victory over Ajax last month, will now miss the return game against Ajax and the home game against AC Milan.